Archive | Crime

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Jun 28, CMC – A former police prosecutor has been jailed for 17 years with hard labour after he was found guilty of raping a then 17-year-old girl who had gone to the police station to make a report 16 years ago.

Justice Althea Alexis-Windsor, sitting in the San Fernando Second Criminal Court, south of here, Wednesday, said aggravating factors in the case against Harry Ramlochan were that the accused was a person of trust being a police prosecutor and acting sergeant and there was a level of vulnerability as the girl and her mother had gone to make a report about domestic violence.

The judge said she considered the convict’s age and child’s age at the time of the attack, and the fact that it was her first sexual encounter.

Prosecutor Sabrina Dougdeen-Jaglal had told the court attack had severely scarred the victim for the rest of her life, saying she hoped that through her resilience, the victim will be able to overcome the effects of the incident.

Jurors took 90 minutes to find Ramlochan, who was 50 years old at the time of the crime, guilty of the offence after a month long trial.

The woman told the court that on Saturday May 5, 2001 she went with her mother to the San Fernando police station to make a report that her mother had been beaten by a relative.

Ramlochan took the mother inside to make the report and then said he wanted to take a statement from her daughter. Her mother advised her to go with him.

In her evidence the victim said that Ramlochan took her to a dormitory where he asked her if she had ever had sex. She told him she was waiting until marriage.

She said Ramlochan then tried to hug and kiss her and left the station, and on his return offered her a drink of rum but she also refused. She also refused the money Ramlochan offered her when he took her to the Courts and Process Office.

The court heard the police officer became upset and closed the door and pushed her against a cabinet and forcefully kissed her and bit her lips. He then pushed her against a wall and pulled down her pants and underwear. He pushed her on a sponge on the ground where he raped her.

But in his defence, Ramlochan denied having sex with the then 17-year-old. He said that on the day she came to the police station she insisted that he arrest her father.

He said when she arrived at the station, her lip was already swollen and she held a towel over her mouth. He said she told him that while her father was beating her mother, he slapped her on her mouth. He said he changed the money to give to the then teen because he felt sorry for her after she told him her father never gave them money.

In his plea for mitigation attorney Chris Ramlal urged the judge to consider his client’s age, that he had an unblemished disciplinary record since he joined the police service in 1972.

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, Jun 26, CMC – The National Drug and Money Laundering Control Policy (ONDCP) says it has seized more than one million (One EC dollar =US$0.37 cents) in illegal drugs and detained six people, including two Caribbean Community (CARICOM) nationals, during a 24 hour exercise over the weekend.

In a statement, the ONDCP said that 295 pounds of marijuana had been seized during the operation and that the six men, including nationals from St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Jamaica, are most likely to appear in court on Tuesday.

The ONDCP said that in the first operation in the All Saints Villiage, a St. Vincent and the Grenadines national as well as an Antiguan male were nabbed in the process of transporting 103.25 pounds of marijuana with a street value of EC$413,000.

It said the Jamaican was nabbed during the second operation in the Mock Pond Area where he was held with 34.8 pounds of compressed marijuana and a small quantity of marijuana seedlings with a street value estimated at EC$139,200.

The authorities said that in the third drug operation in the Sea View Farm area, three nationals were detained after 157.8 pounds of compressed cannabis with an estimated street value of EC$631, 200 was found in their possession.

The ONCP reported that all the drugs seized during the operations appears to have originated out of South America and that while drugs originating from South America are usually from Venezuela or Columbia, investigations will continue to determine the exact country from where the drugs came.

PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, Jun 23, CMC – Haitian police Friday denied allegations that they forced two men to kiss each other after they were arrested on Thursday in connection with the gang rape of a 16-year-old girl in January this year.

The police commissioner in Petion-ville, Jean Christian Monélus confirmed the arrest of Nickenson Remy, aka Sonson” and Jean Wisky Emile, aka “Anbilans” accused of having participated with three others in the in the gang rape of the 16-year-old minor in January. He said that the two individuals have confessed to the crime.

But the police have denied that they forced the men to fight and kiss each other in order to humiliate them, despite the scenes of their arrest and the kissing being shown on social media.

The Directorate General of the Haitian National Police (DGPNH) in a statement said that ‘it disapproves of these deviant behaviours” adding that it does not “represent the image of this professional police that we want to build for the country”

The DGPNH said that actions were also “not in conformity with the police practice” and has done much to betray the “good image that the institution seeks to project every day in the society.

“Consequently, DGPNH wishes to inform the public that the Inspectorate General has already been instructed to conduct an investigation “on this clear case of gross violation of human rights, in order to identify and punish the perpetrators and their accomplices.”

while after sexual harassment, enduring further harassment and victimisation

She was still serving on probation as a prison officer when about two years ago in June 2015 she filed sexual harassment complaints with the Governor against the top officials of HM Prison where she worked in Brades.

Today, after enduring further harassment and victimization; enquiries as to her status as she continued to receive a salary, no information as to disciplinary charges brought against her, ridicule of the police for bringing her before the judge on charges that should have not passed reported stage, she is finally still in the employ of GoM she reports, as a senior clerical officer in the Ministry of Housing beginning just about two weeks ago.

TMR has been following this story since it broke in October 2015 particularly the reports of victimization that was meted out to this harassed female prison officer. Six weeks ago, follow-up enquiries as to the outcome of the case to include disciplinary charges brought against the victim related to her complaint, which earlier had been the delay in action on the matter after it had been fully investigated, with outside assistance, we received the following response. “There was a consequence which will be reported on in due course.”

Further inquiries informed that the accused junior official had been placed back on the job while the top official was transferred, supposedly on demotion to head the mental home in Sweeneys. Although being finally placed back to work the young woman reports that she has not been advised as to the outcome of her complaints or the disciplinary charges that were brought against her.

Meantime, complaining that she has received no assistance from women organisation who claim their existence to help abused women, suffering much stress, she has endured arrests and charges brought against her in the High Court which brought ridicule from the judge against the police and her filing civil claims against them.

On October 30, 2015, The Montserrat Reporter (TMR) carried under the story caption, “Top prison officers suspended for allegations of bullying and sexual harassment.

The story evolved out of information and investigations into an article by Claude Gerald, “Her Majesty’s Prison Montserrat: A home of sexual pervasion?”, published a week less three months earlier which said: “If it can be verified that female officers, married or otherwise, lose resistance on disproportionate night duty assignments and succumb to ravenous sexual aggression by male seniority – for fear of losing their jobs;…”

The matter arose in June 2015 the Governor’s office and the Royal Montserrat Police Service (RMPS), “received a complaint from a female member of the prison staff of victimisation, bullying and sexual harassment at HM Prison.

At the beginning of investigation taking place, two top prison officers were reportedly suspended. The complainant was sent off work on Administrative Leave. We learnt that the matter had already been passed on to the Director of Prosecution’s office for further processing. The female complainant who when making the complaint was still on probation and not yet confirmed in her job. Meantime she complained of having been the victim of subtle and other forms of harassment and embarrassment.

As the investigation continues, further information confirms that the “Deputy Governor and the Governor’s office are taking action on other aspects of the complaint.”

According to information from official sources the investigation continued, with the RMPS leading, following others into “a specific allegation”. Our continuing inquiries in the matter especially where the complainant was as part of the harassment she received, was charged with misconduct in accordance with Para 110 (1) (ab) of the Code of Conduct for Prison Officers, set out in the Schedule to the Prison Rules (CAP 10.04).

The Charge read, “You Miss xxxx, While on probation as a Prison Officer, behaved in a manner and engaged in conduct to the prejudice of good order at Her Majesty’s Prison, in that you engaged in inappropriate communication of a sexual nature with the Superintendent of Prison during work hours.”

In support of the charge, the accompanying documents were supplied with the Notice: WhatsApp Chat with xxxx (the top official) and Performance Report (Prison Officer – xxxx dated April 05, 2016.

Asked again if she received encouragement, sympathy, assistance or protection from the proponents of ‘ending violence against women, the response ‘was none at all’.

Once again, the question is asked: “How much and what protection or support are provided when allegations and charges are brought by women who face these circumstances.”

Several killed in ‘unprecedented’ London tower blaze – with residents still trapped

A bullet hole in a window at the scene of the shootingSenior US congressman Steve Scalise has been shot at a baseball practice in northern Virginia.

A congressional aide said Mr Scalise, who rallies Republican votes in the House of Representatives, was hit during the training session in Alexandria attended by up to 25 politicians, plus their staff, ahead of an annual game.

Fellow Republican Mo Brooks, representative for Alabama, said the majority whip from Louisiana was on the ground with “a hip wound”.

Video – Trump Monitoring Baseball Shooting (Wochit News)

Mr Brooks, who applied pressure to Mr Scalise’s injury, said the 51-year-old “crawled into the outfield, leaving a trail of blood”.

“He was dragging his body from the second base infield to the outfield to get away from the shooter while all this firing was going on,” he said.

A law enforcement official, who was not authorised to speak by name, said the shooting was being regarded as a criminal act and not an act of terrorism.

The White House has announced that a scheduled public appearance by Donald Trump on Wednesday will be cancelled as a result of the shooting.

Congressman Steve Scalise is said to have been hit during a shooting at a baseball practice

Mr Trump was scheduled to appear at the Department of Labour to sign an executive order.

Congressional activity was also curtailed and police said they would put in place a “robust police presence”.

Police confirmed the shooter was in custody.

Mr Brooks said other people were also shot, including two police officers.

Police chief Michael Brown said officers were on the scene within three minutes of receiving a call about the shooting at 7am (local time) and exchanged gunfire with the suspect.

Politicians from both US parties have offered condolences following the incident

Republican Mike Bishop, from Michigan, said Mr Scalise was at second base when he was shot.

“I was looking right at him,” he told Detroit radio station WWJ. “He was a sitting duck.”

“We were doing batting practice,” said Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona.

“All of a sudden we heard a very loud shot. The gunman was over by the third base dugout with a clear view of the field.”

He said the gunman had “a rifle of some sort… a lot of ammo”.

Mr Scalise is said to be in a stable condition at George Washington University Hospital. Five people in total were taken to hospital for treatment.

Texas representative Roger Williams also reported that a member of his staff was shot at the practice.

Witness Katie Filous said she heard more than 20 shots while walking her dogs near the playing field.

She said the shooting went on for “quite a while”.

A police officer was hit by the gunman after he got out of a parked car and drew a handgun, according to Filous. She said the officer was then evacuated by helicopter.

Representative Brad Wenstrup told CBS News that he feared the violence could have been more serious.

“Fortunately secret service was here because Steve Scalise was here,” he said. “If they had not been here it would have been far worse.”

A law enforcement official said the FBI would be taking over the investigation. This is standard protocol in when federal officials are involved in attacks.

A statement issued by President Donald Trump said the situation was being monitored. “We are deeply saddened by this tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with the members of Congress, their staffs, Capitol Police, first responders, and all others affected,” it said.

On Twitter, he described Mr Scalise as “a true friend and patriot” who was “badly injured but will fully recover”.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Jun 12, CMC – Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley Monday condemned the attack and robbery of a popular Roman Catholic priest, who has been working with young people to help rid Trinidad and Tobago of crime.

Father Clive Harvey was robbed at gunpoint as he prayed at the Holy Rosary/St. Martin’s, Church in East Port of-Spain by three men at around 6.00 am (local time) on Monday. Harvey is the parish priest there.

Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley

In a statement, Prime Minister Rowley said that the attack on Father Harvey “by able-bodied, gun-toting men sadly represents the worst that exists within our communities.

“Notwithstanding what difficulties one may be facing in life there are limits beneath which the human form should not sink. Unfortunately, there are people who have chosen criminal conduct as a way of life and such persons, regardless of their circumstances, should be condemned in the strongest terms, as I so do now.”

Rowley said that these “miscreants have parents and I hope that somewhere in this country today there are a few parents who are hanging their heads in shame as they reflect in private as to what more they might have done to prevent any of our citizens from behaving in this despicable way”.

A statement issued by the Archdiocese of Port of Spain noted that Father Harvey was tied up and robbed by three men who threatened to kill him.

It said that the priest, who previously served as chaplain at the University of the West Indies (UWI) and parish priest in the volatile Laventille/Morvant area, and is actively involved in social and community programmes, had spent the night at the church to prepare for a seminar at the Seminary of the St John Vianney and the Uganda Martyrs, Mt St Benedict.

The statement said that Father Harvey was tied up while the men ransacked the presbytery and took TT$1,000 (One Tt dollar =US$0.16 cents), a mobile phone and other items.

“The assailants also threatened to kill the priest,” the statement noted, adding that the priest managed to escape and made his way to a parishioner’s home where he contacted Archbishop Joseph Harris and the police.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Jun 12, CMC – Five people, including a woman, were arrested on Monday fter police intercepted a taxi and seized a quantity of marijuana.

In a brief statement, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) said that bust occurred along the Aurora Public Road in Essequibo, when the car was stopped and searched.

The police said they were acting on a tip off and has not yet released the names of those arrested, including a taxi driver.

They said they found 25 taped parcels of the marijuana in a carton box in the car. The five occupants were immediately arrested and taken in for questioning. They are expected to be charged later this week.

NEW YORK, USA — US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on June 11 stopped Yoncela Stanley, a United States citizen, who was arriving on a flight from Saint Lucia.

Cocaine found inside back seat cushion of wheelchair

During the course of the inspection, CBP officers noticed that the back seat cushion of her wheelchair appeared unusual. The back seat cushion was removed and felt unusually heavy. CBP officers probed the cushion producing a white powder that tested positive for cocaine.

Stanley was arrested for the importation of a controlled substance and was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations.

The total weight of cocaine seized was approximately 27 lbs, with an estimated street value of $468,000.

“This latest seizure demonstrates the vigilance of our CBP officers, and their excellence in detecting those who would try to smuggle these illegal substances,” said Leon Hayward, acting director, field operations New York.

Stanley now faces federal narcotics smuggling charges and will be prosecuted by the US Attorney’s Office in the US Eastern District Court of New York.

A 54-year-old Arima man who showed pornography to two children was sentenced to 24 months in jail after being found guilty of the offences on Thursday.

Clifford Llewellyn a mechanic from Carapo, Arima, will also be registered as a sex offender in the Sex Offenders’ Register.

Llewellyn, who is alleged to have shown the children, aged eight and 10, child pornography while engaging in a sex act in their presence, was arrested in 2015 after the children’s parents reported him to the La Horquetta Police Station.

Llewellyn was found guilty by Arima Magistrate Gillian Scotland, who sentenced him to a total of 24 months on the two charges. However, he will serve 18 months as the sentences are to run concurrently. On exposing the children to pornography, Llewellyn was sentenced to six months in jail and for the second offence of engaging in a sexual act in the presence of the children, he was sentenced to 18 months in jail.

In a media release yesterday, the police service said Magistrate Scotland, in handing down the sentence, lamented the psychological impact such incidents have on the life of a child and the prevalence of abuse against children in the country.

Llewellyn was arrested on July 3, 2015, by Sgt Michelle Lewis of the Northern Division’s Child Protection Unit, after he was reported on June 28, 2015. The offences are alleged to have taken place at his home.